Seattle Culture

New Filing Fix Can Help Tame Your Taxes
Free site aims to untangle tax questions
For many, filing taxes is akin to deciphering an ancient cryptic scroll. A new website is here to help. MyFreeTaxesWA.org connects Washington residents with IRS-certified volunteer tax professionals who can offer in-person or virtual tax help. As the name implies, it’s a free service and is available in multiple languages. The effort is funded through…

The Pulse: Love in a Cold Climate
The most romantic walks in Seattle and another breakfast heist
Happy Valentine’s Day. I’ve always liked the idea of celebrating love. And being in the city feels romantic this time of year — cold air, twinkling lights, maybe a late-night walk under the glowy moon. Whatever it is you’re doing, I hope you’re staying warm. Here’s what’s going on around town… Need Valentine’s plans? Find…

Downtown Seattle Foot Traffic is Up, Thanks to Amazon
Still lags pre-pandemic numbers
Amazon’s return-to-office mandate resulted in a measurable increase among downtown Seattle office workers in January, but the numbers still aren’t anywhere near where they were six years ago. The Downtown Seattle Association’s Revitalization Dashboard shows foot traffic in neighborhoods where Amazon’s offices are located (South Lake Union and Denny Regrade) at 74% of that of…

Seattle’s Winter Drinking Plan
Beer, mead, and a beach party
February is somehow both the shortest and longest month of the year, and March isn’t much better. Sure, the sun is again setting at a reasonable time, but it still refuses to provide warmth, and going out requires a little extra motivation. Good news: Seattle’s winter beer parties are here to help. Whether you want…

Must List: Six Fun Things to Do This Week
Feb 13 - Feb 19
Music, romance, and one seriously steamy film
Hey, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! My husband and I keep it simple, but it’s still one of my favorite holidays. This year, we’re meeting some friends at Rocco’s — should be fun. If you’re looking for a romantic restaurant with a pretty view, we rounded up the best places in the city. You can also…

Celebrate Black History Year-Round, Not Just In February
And don’t forget restaurants during Black History Month
There was a time when events like “The Soul of Seattle” were the only ones of their kind in the city, where the Black population is less than 7% of all residents. Enter restaurateur and provocateur Donna Moodie. It was Moodie, who opened the third version of Marjorie in Midtown Square in Seattle’s Central District last…

Most Influential: Valerie Segrest
Native nutrition educator
Valerie Segrest’s elders and her community are the reason she dedicated her life to food systems. Segrest grew up a part of the Muckleshoot Tribe, located just south of Auburn, in a community where the closest grocery store was nearly 10 miles away in an area considered “food insecure.” Her elders often told her, “If…

Pickleball Franchise The Picklr Takes Theo Chocolate Space
Fast-growing chain plans to open in the Fremont neighborhood this fall
A location housing a non-descript warehouse operated by Theo Chocolate in Fremont won’t stay vacant for long. It will soon become home to a pickleball complex. The Picklr, a Utah-based nationwide franchise of pickleball chains, will open in the 27,000-square-foot space this fall. It is adjacent to the historic retail outlet and production facility Theo…

Most Influential: Girmay Zahilay
King County Councilmember
When Girmay Zahilay arrived in Seattle as a 2-year-old refugee, his family lived in public housing and homeless shelters. He was born in a Sudanese refugee camp to Ethiopian parents fleeing civil war. Now, 35 years later, Zahilay is leading the charge to fund affordable housing in King County for working class families to the…

Most Influential: Dave Bateman
Founder, Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project at K&L Gates
David Bateman, a lawyer at K&L Gates who spent his time “finding people who were doing bad things on the internet,” didn’t fully know the concept of revenge porn until he met Holly Jacobs. Jacobs sought help from K&L Gates after explicit photos of her were nonconsensually shared on the internet. Jacobs’ case, Bateman says,…

Super Bowl Ads: Winners & Snoozers
Seattle ad agency vets weigh in on what worked and what didn’t
Matt McCain and Michael Boychuk were among the estimated 123.7 million Super Bowl viewers Sunday. Like most everyone else, they were also keenly interested in the ads, but for different reasons than you may think. McCain and Boychuk are co-founders of Seattle ad agency DNA&STONE. Boychuk, who built and ran Amazon’s first in-house agency and…

Matters of the Heart
A gym owner dispenses tips for heart health during National Heart Health Month
In Washington state, heart disease is the second leading cause of death, with one in five women and one in four men dying from heart disease. While some risk factors like family history and age are beyond our control, many others are within our power to change. As we observe National Heart Health Month this…

The Pulse: Thawing Out
Seattle’s food scene steps up and an ugly art tradition lives on
We made it through all the snow and ice this week, and now it’s time to gear up for Valentine’s Day. We’re keeping things simple this year — just stencils, stickers, glitter, and some white cards to decorate. What are your plans? It’s been a week full of news and updates, so here’s what’s happening…
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